The first street carnival since the launch of Pix has led revelers to adopt strategies to reduce the damage, in case the cell phone is taken by bandits in the midst of agglomerations. In the best “rings go, fingers stay” style, many have hidden or even uninstalled banking apps to prevent the account from being emptied by thieves.
Last year, the Sheet showed that crooks can break into bank accounts after cellphones are stolen or stolen, leaving victims penniless. All of this bypassing security locks quickly, often with no time for whoever was robbed to react.
In the blocks, the agglomerations are the perfect setting for bandit action. That’s why many people have even uninstalled banking apps so they don’t run out of money all of a sudden.
Publicist Raíssa, 33, used a second device to participate on Friday (22) in the block Perdidos no Paraíso, in Água Branca, west of São Paulo. There, the report heard reports of thefts among revelers. “I came with a broken cell phone. No banking app, with an extra password for Gmail. Before, we didn’t even care. If it’s lost, it’s lost. But now, there’s Pix,” she said.
Video editor Alexandre Amendola, 36, noted that Pix could become a major trap during the pandemic’s cooling off period, when people would once again crowd together, making it easier for thieves to act. “I got smart. Today, I came to the block and uninstalled the application”, he said last Thursday (21), in Olavo Bilac square, where the report witnessed the theft of two cell phones, after the presentation of Bloco do Amor.
Lawyer Andréa Miranda, 29, kept the apps where she has a bank account on her cell phone, but she uninstalled the one from the stockbroker where she invests her money. On Thursday afternoon, she had her braces in hand for a few minutes during the parade of the Vai Quem Quer block in the Butantã neighborhood, west of the capital.
“The fear is that, to reinstall the bank application, I will need to go to the branch. I leave a small amount of money, even, but where I make my investment I already deleted it”, he said.
The tactic of partygoer Letícia Lemes, who accompanied Vai Quem Quer, is to keep two devices. “I have a cell phone, a little older, just for banking applications. This one is at home, I rarely use it on the street. When I go to Carnival and even clubs, I don’t even carry it,” she said.
“I don’t delete, but I also don’t leave the banking applications visible. It will take a long time for the person to search and find out. I have multiple authentication factors, all possible security tools”, said administrator Gabriela Gaspar, 30. “This business of Pix needs to be better regulated,” he said.
Product manager Fernanda Sotelli, 30, also chose to hide the app from the bank where she keeps her main account. “I leave only one on display, with little money, to spend on a daily basis. I also took out payment by approximation”, she said. “If I lose, I lose less money,” she added.
There are also those who adopt a “root solution” to avoid inconvenience with thieves. Public servant Ana Carolina Adriano, 44, takes a cell phone that cost R$100 to the revelry, without internet access. “He doesn’t have anything. He just texts and calls. I also come with my single ticket. If I want to leave, I’ll take the train or the subway,” she said.
Ana Carolina says that she was robbed in a past Carnival and, since then, she has given up on taking her smartphone to the blocks. “I bought this one in 2020 and its battery lasts for four days,” she said. “You can even walk around with it hanging, because someone might think it’s a fetish object,” she joked.
ANSWER
Asked about the insecurity in the blocks, in the face of the action of criminals, the State Secretariat of Public Security, under the management of Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB), did not manifest itself until the publication of this report.
On the other hand, Febraban (Brazilian Federation of Banks) stated that bank applications have maximum security at all stages, from their development to their use, and that there is no record of security breaches.
According to the entity, the applications have the most modern in the world for this matter. But he says that the crooks have convincing techniques and, through emails or fake messages, they induce the victim to inform the cell phone unlock passwords.
Febraban says that it constantly invests in campaigns and awareness actions in its communication channels with customers in order to guide the population to prevent fraud in the digital environment and carry out their daily financial transactions with complete security.
“Actions are constantly carried out on the social media of financial institutions with content aimed at explaining and tips on how to protect yourself from fraud and specific scams”, he says.
According to Febraban, since October 4th, customers in the banking sector who use Pix have had a limit of BRL 1,000 for transfers between individuals in the period between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am of the following day, in accordance with Central Bank resolutions.
Febraban also says that there is a Meus Limits function, within the bank’s applications, in order to allow customers to eventually request an increase or decrease in Pix’s limits, according to their needs. He also states that he has a partnership with police forces and that he invests in security.
Revelers questioned the fact that the São Paulo City Hall did not support the blocks in April this year, including in actions related to security. The management Ricardo Nunes (MDB) stated that it held a series of meetings with block organizers in recent weeks, in which, in the end, it was proposed to hold the Esquenta de Carnaval, on the 16th and 17th of July.
Blocks that insisted on taking to the streets during this holiday were also asked to inform the sub-prefectures so that the places could be cleaned. “No announcement has been made so far. Despite this, 100 employees and 18 equipment remain on standby, including 7 water trucks; 6 dump trucks; 2 sweepers and 3 compactors, to carry out the janitorship after the completion of these blocks”, said the city hall , in note.
“CET has already assigned 400 agents who monitor traffic and carry out punctual diversion and orientation operations, when necessary”, he added.
TIPS FROM BANKS
- The bank password must be used exclusively to access your financial institution; never use the same password in other apps
- Never write down bank access passwords in notebooks, emails, WhatsApp messages or other places on your cell phone; memorize it for use
- Always use the cell phone home screen lock procedure
- Never use the “remember/save password” feature in browsers and websites
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
